1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a paddle device for water vehicles according to the generic clause of patent claim 1 and to a water vehicle including such paddle device. 2. Description of the Prior Art
It is generally known to propel a water vehicle forward by means of a single blade or double blade paddle. A whole series of inventions have made it their object to improve this most simple form of paddling. Devices are known for water vehicles, by means of which the user, in a seated position, besides the conventional single blade paddle (also known as spade paddle) also uses double blade paddles in a holding device by means of which the paddle is suspended, such that the weight of the paddle need not be carried continuously by the user. In the case of Canadian Application CA 1,288,009, the inventive concept consists in that the paddle is suspended from a boom which is fitted pivotally revolvable about a mast, mounted on a floating body.
According to the subject of U.S. Pat. No. 7,581,996 B1 the object is pursued to create a kind of “third hand”. In this case, the single blade paddle is connected at its end where the grip is situated to the floating body by a device, such that, for example, a left-hand and a right-hand single blade paddle, instead of with both hands, need only be held and operated with one hand. The paddles are linked to a support, which, in turn, is linked close to the bow of the floating body. The user grips with the one hand the left-hand paddle and with the other hand the right-hand paddle.
In DE 200 02 806 U1, a double blade paddle is described, which is suspended from a boom in fixed relationship to a floating body. According to U.S. Pat. No. 5,364,296, the user operates a kind of U-beam, to the end of which a paddle is fitted. This U-beam is fitted by means of two solid stationary supports to the floating body, the forward propulsion is attained in that both paddles are moved forward and backward. In both those applications U.S. Pat. No. 6,632,111 B2 and U.S. Pat. No. 6,796,863 B1 the teaching concerns a double bladed paddle to be fitted movably to a movable support. The support serves for weight reduction of the double bladed paddle. It is level adjustable and fitted by way of a variety of fitting options such as straps and fixed brackets to the floating body. In essence, the paddle suspensions only serve the purpose to reduce the weight of the paddle that has to be carried by the user.
If a single blade or double blade paddle is suspended by a kind of boom by way of one or two fixing ropes, as described in DE 200 02 806 U1, this results in the user being highly restricted in his use of the paddle. The pattern of movement of a single or double blade paddle resides in that the user immerses the paddle with both hands close to the bow and guides it laterally by means of a more or less intensive pulling action (and terminating in a thrust move) out of the water again at the stern.
In performing this, the centre of the paddle does not remain in the centre of the axis of elongation of the boat, but is moved outwardly towards the one or other side. Furthermore, there results a forward-backward as well as an up- and down movement of the paddle centre point. In a working example of the aforesaid DE 200 02 806 U1, this is taken into account in that the paddle is suspended from a flexible cord. This, however, takes into account only inadequately the circumstances of drift by the centre point of the paddle. For example, if the paddle is moved very far outwardly and towards the rear, a more or less intense tensile force is applied to the flexible cord which the user must counteract with each paddle thrust. This means that the concept of weight reduction of the paddle is partly neutralized in that the user, in the case of this invention, must apply an additional force in the lateral and downward movement as compared with a conventional paddle, in order to counteract the resilient traction of the cord to which the paddle is fitted.
If the elastic cord for the suspension of the paddle is too resilient, it will not contribute to the weight reduction of the paddle. If it is rather non-resilient, each paddle movement results in an undesirable heeling of the floating body.
All aforesaid paddle devices have in common that, when used in accordance with the respective invention, they can only be handled while seated and strongly impair the function of the single and double blade paddle. The suspensions and fixation constructions to which the paddles are fitted and which serve for the weight reduction of the paddle are cumbersome and impracticable. A typical paddle boat, canoe or surfboard, having a fixed boom fitted in front of or behind the user to the water vehicle lends an un-sporty appearance to the water vehicle, as well as a distinctive technical restriction to the use of the suspended paddle as compared with the use of conventional single blade or double blade paddles.